When Katniss Met Peeta
by Jenebra
Summary: Peeta Mellark is Finnick's best friend, and therefore the only person Finnick would trust to travel to upstate New York with Finnick's girlfriend, Katniss, after graduation. Neither is looking for a special someone, but they might just find one anyway. Modern AU
1. Chapter 1

Peeta thrums his fingers impatiently on the car's roof as he waits for his best friend and now-former college roommate to stop sucking on the brunette girl's face.

"Any year, now Finn."

Finnick finally steps back and smirks at his friend.

"Sorry, Peet. This is Katniss, by the way."

The girl nervously pulls down her _Guns n' Roses_ t-shirt before extending her hand toward Peeta, who politely shakes it.

"Nice to meet you, Katniss."

"Likewise, I'm sure."

Finnick pulls Katniss' attention back to himself. "Call me, babe?"

Katniss kisses him. "You bet."

Their faces are suddenly glued together once again. After a few minutes, Peeta honks the car horn.

"Not that I'm not enjoying watching you two dry-hump each other, but could we please get going? We're gonna hit rush-hour traffic if we don't."

"Fine," Finnick groaned. "Love ya, babe."

Katniss kissed his cheek. "Love you, too."

They climbed into the car and took off.

"So what's your deal?"

Katniss's voice broke through the silence that had haunted the car for the past 20 miles.

"I'm sorry?" Peeta turned to her.

"What's your deal. We're gonna be stuck in this car together for a while – might as well get to know each other."

"Or we could just not talk."

Katniss slumped back in her seat and crossed her arms. "That's boring," she said.

Peeta sighed. "Fine. I'm 21, went to PanemUniversity, majored in baking, minored in art, two brothers, parents divorced when I was 10, grew up with dad." He paused to glare in Katniss's direction. "Anything else?"

"What does your dad do?"

Peeta got the uneasy feeling that this was o longer just small talk – that the practical-stranger next to him genuinely cared.

"He owns a bakery upstate. Now that I've graduated, I'm heading back home to learn the ropes so I can take over."

Katniss nodded. "That explains the baking major."

"Yeah. Neither of my brothers wanted the bakery, so I got it by process of elimination."

"Is that what you want to do?"

Peeta thought for a moment. "It's what I'm going to do."

Katniss got the feeling that Peeta didn't want to stay on that subject, so she let it go. "What do your brothers do?"

"Rye is in business – he builds computers or something – and Wheat just finished med school last year."

"Rye, Wheat, and Peeta? Do you have a cousin named Ciabatta?"

Peeta glared at her. "Very funny." He looked her up and down. "Well, at least it's easy to figure you out."

Katniss scoffed. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna guess you're 19, maybe 20, the youngest in your family. You carry yourself like you matter, but you dress like you don't, so I'm gonna guess you have a rich daddy who you rebelled against when you were young – tired of always living in your big sister's shadow. Dropped out of high school junior year and never had a problem in your life." Pause. "Am I right?"

Silence once again prevailed in the small car. When Katniss finally broke it with a hushed, "shut up," there was venom in her voice.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Peeta smiled cheekily at her.

Katniss glared. "I said shut up."

"Ha! I knew I was right."

Suddenly, Katniss exploded.

"I said shut up! You can't just meet me and then know me 5 minutes later. And for the record, no, you weren't right. I'm 21. And my dad was a coal-miner – that's right, _was_. He died 10 years ago, almost to the day, and when he died my mom went crazy. So crazy we had to put her in a home. And who was left to take care of my little sister? Me. Because I was the only person she had. So don't even talk to me about problems. Oh, and I did _not_ drop out of high school. I'm a college graduate, thank you very much, so shut the fuck up before I make you!"

For the first time in his life, Peeta was left speechless. He had not expected Katniss's life to be like that, nor was he prepared for her sudden outburst.

"Katniss…I…I'm so sorry…I didn't know…"

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. It's not your fault you made assumptions…I just don't like being pigeon-holed."

"It's ok – I shouldn't have assumed. You know what they say, to assume makes an ass out of you and me."

A smile threatened to cross Katniss's face. "Well, you're forgiven."

There was a brief awkward pause. "So," Peeta finally said, "what did you go to school for?"

"Journalism. I'm headed upstate to work for the Capitol Times."

Peeta smiled broadly. "Oh really? Their headquarters are just down the street from the bakery."

"Really? Maybe we'll be neighbors."

"I'd like that."


	2. Chapter 2

**PLEASE READ THIS VERY LONG A.N.! PLEASE!**

**Wow. Just wow. The response to that first chapter was phenomenal – thank you all so much for your follows and favorites. I would like to give an ULTRA SPECAIL thank you to everlasting1286, hpfan73, and Bellanator116 for reviewing. I really appreciate feedback guys, so if you wouldn't mind reviewing (even if it's just something little) I would really appreciate it. I want to make this story awesome for y'all but I can't do that if I don't know what you guys want.**

**On another note, I would like to set the record straight that while this story is _loosely_ based on the fantastic movie _When Harry Met Sally_, it will not follow that same plot line. I love the concept of that movie, but I don't want to be accused of copying.**

**Finally (yes, that means I'm going to stop talking soon), if you are not exclusively dedicated to Everlark and would like to expand your fanfiction horizons, you should read Drowning Embers' story "Plenty of Fish in the Sea". It's a Finnick/Katniss pairing that she and I are writing together and we'd love you to love Finniss with us.**

**Now enjoy chapter 2.**

"Uhm…Katniss?"

A hand gently shaking her shoulder rouses Katniss from her slumber. "Just five more minutes," she mumbles without opening her eyes.

"Katniss, it's Peeta. Wake up. The car broke down and I need your help."

Katniss's eyes shot open. She took in her surroundings – sure enough, the car was stopped in the right lane of an empty highway in the middle of nowhere. Crickets chirped into the pitch-black night. An open teddy-grahams box rested on her lap, but the little bears themselves lay all over the car from when she and Peeta had attempted to throw them up in the air and catch them with their mouths during a gas stop an hour ago. Since then, she'd fallen asleep to Peeta's Pandora station.

Finally, she looked at Peeta. "What do you _mean_ the car broke down? We just got gas."

Peeta nodded. "I know. But the check engine light started blinking a few miles back and all of a sudden the car just…stopped. I need your help to push it over to the side of the road before I can call someone."

Katniss groaned as she rose from her seat, scattering teddy-grahams everywhere. Peeta chuckled and pulled a few from her now-very-messy hair.

"Alright bread boy, what's the big plan?" Katniss asked once she was out of the car and standing by the trunk next to Peeta.

"Bread boy?"

"You are a baker, after all."

Peeta nodded. "Indeed I am. Alright, first things first, we've gotta get this moved over to the side of the road. Think your thin little girl arms can handle that?"

"My 'thin little girl arms' can probably bench more than you on their worst day," Katniss scoffed.

Peeta laughed. "I'd like to see you try. Now go to that end and start pushing."

Katniss positioned herself at one end of the car's rear while Peeta positioned himself at the other. As they began pushing on the car, Katniss realized that Peeta didn't really even need her help at all – he was more than capable of pushing the car off to the side. Her eyes raked appreciatively down his arms, enjoying the sight of his muscles rippling through his thin white t-shirt, all the way down to his hands, fingers braced against red metal. _I wonder what else he could do with those hands…_

Peeta coughed lightly, breaking Katniss out of her trance and reminding her that she was supposed to be helping him push. She blushed slightly at the inappropriate direction her thoughts had taken and braced herself against the car, pushing with all of her might.

It took about 2 minutes for them to get the car situated on the side of the road, and another 2 to contact his insurance company.

"Now what?" Katniss asked as Peeta shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"Now we wait." He sighed. The two slumped against the hood of the car.

"So…" Peeta sighed, "how did you and Finn meet?"

Katniss smiled wistfully. "There was a Halloween party freshman year…I was dressed in this little nurse costume my sister had found for me, all white except for the red-cross symbol on the breast. He was a caveman – both in outfit and demeanor. He kept asking me if to 'check him up'. I eventually got drunk enough that I said yes, and we've been together ever since." She chuckled. "He's one of those guys who seem like such douches at first, but grow on you after a while. When I woke up with him the morning after the party, I was ready to end it, but he was just so sweet and sincere that I decided to stick around."

"Do you love him?"

Peeta's question caught Katniss off guard and she had to think for a moment.

"I think so," she finally said. "At least, I've never met anyone who I like more than him. Isn't that what love is?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. But suppose there's someone out there who you end up liking more. Would you leave Finnick?"

Katniss nodded. "If I felt more strongly for someone than I do for Finnick, I would leave him." She thought for a moment. "I doubt I'd find one though. Guys tend not to notice me."

"What are you talking about?" Peeta laughed. "You're one of the hottest girls I've ever met in my life. If you were _my_ girl, I'd never let you get away. I'd hug you close every night and tell you just how beautiful you are."

Silence settled between them as they both realized what Peeta had just said. Katniss shivered.

"Are you cold?" Peeta was begging her to let him change the subject.

"A little."

Peeta grabbed his faded leather jacket off the hood of the car and stood in front of her as he gently placed it over her shoulders. Her fingers came up to take it from him and their hands brushed. She looked into his eyes. An electric current zinged to life between them.

"Katniss…" Peeta whispered. He started to lean in – to extinguish the flame burning in her eyes.

But his lips hit her cheek as she turned away and whispered, "I love Finnick."

Neither one spoke again until the tow truck arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

"So I guess it's true," Katniss sighed they sat in the auto-shop's sad excuse for a café, drinking watered-down coffee.

The man driving the tow truck had been more than kind and had driven them and the car to the nearest repair shop so they could get back on the road ASAP. Now they were waiting for someone to come in and tell them exactly what was wrong.

Peeta looked at her in surprise – this was the first time either of them had spoken since the occurrence of what he'd deemed the "breakdown incident".

"What's true?" he asked.

Katniss looked back at him. "Men and women can't be friends."

He still looked confused. "What do you mean? Of course men and women can be friends."

"Nope. They can't be friends because sex always gets in the way."

"We're friends, aren't we?" _Please say yes. Please say yes._

"Sex got in the way," Katniss said.

"No it hasn't!" This conversation was seriously irking Peeta.

"And what would you call what happened back there on the highway?"

"A horrible lapse in judgment brought on by sleep deprivation and sudden, unprepared exposure to fresh air."

Katniss smirked. "So you're saying you're not attracted to me at all?"

Peeta shook his head. 'Not in the slightest. I honestly don't know what Finn sees in you."

Katniss set down her coffee and turned to face him. "There isn't even the smallest little part of you that wonders what it would be like to throw me up against that wall over there and fuck me senseless."

"Nope. Not even a little bit."

She climbed over her chair and onto his lap, straddling him and pressing her chest against his as she leaned into his ear and whispered, "how about now?"

Peeta willed a certain part of his anatomy not to react to Katniss's proximity. "No. I still don't see what Finnick does."

Katniss sat there in his lap for a moment, thinking, waiting for Peeta to make some sort of response to her positioning, but when none came, she shrugged. "Alright." She climbed off his lap and dropped back into her chair, picking up her coffee cup and taking a deep sip.

"That was fun," she smiled at him. "We should do it again some time."

* * *

Car repaired and back on the road, Katniss and Peeta resumed their silence, though this time it was Katniss at the wheel. The quiet, over-used melody of some top-40's pop song drifted through the speakers, filling the ever-present silence. Peeta sat quietly with a sketch book in his lap, doodling impressively well considering the constant up-and-down movement of the car.

"Peeta?"

He grunted his response.

"What are you drawing?"

His hand paused, still holding the pencil, and his eyes drifted across the page quickly before he closed the book and slid it into the space between the door and his seat.

"Nothing," he murmured.

Silence.

"Peeta?"

He grunted again.

"Why do you like Finnick?"

"Easy," Peeta smiled, "he's the only person who didn't treat me like a social pariah when I got to Panem. He wasn't afraid to be seen talking to the new kid." He chuckled. "Hell, if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't even have made it through my first year."

Katniss glanced at him. "What do you mean by that?"

A blush crept onto Peeta's face. "I got a little homesick…at the end of the first month, I was packing my bags and ready to head home, but Finnick stood in front of the door and refused to let me out of my dorm. He stayed there with me all night – ordered pizza, talked about classes, movies, girls…anything we could think of. And he never once criticized me for being weak or wanting to go home. He understood how hard it was for me."

"He's a pretty great guy, isn't he?"

Peeta nodded. "Yeah…I remember when he met you. Well, not actually _when_ you met, but right afterwards. He marched into our dorm one morning, fell onto my bed, and said he'd found the girl he was going to marry. I remember laughing it off at the time, but seeing as you're still together, maybe he was right."

Katniss shook her head. "I don't know about marriage…"

"You'd be hard-pressed to find someone better than Finn." Peeta snorted, "Hell, you could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve him."

Katniss laughed. "He certainly does scream perfection." She thought for a moment before adding, "but what if I don't want 'perfection'? What if 'perfection' isn't what's perfect for me?"

Peeta sighed. "Katniss, Finnick is my best friend, and you and I are friends too, in a way, so I'm obligated to tell you this – he loves you more than he needs air. It would kill him if you two broke up. And I really don't want you to hurt him."

"I don't want that either."

Silence once again reined supreme before Katniss broke it with a quiet, "Peeta?"

"Yes, Katniss?"

"I'm glad we're friends."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! Wow…sorry it's taken so long to update…I've been lacking ideas (hint, hint – y'all should give me some). In response to a couple of reviewer's questions, this is not a Finniss story. Believe me, I love Finnick as much as the next girl, but if you're looking to read about Finniss, zip on over to Drowning Ember's story _Plenty of Fish in the Sea_—she and I are writing it together. I promise to try to update more regularly, though this week may be a bit off, as I have a show opening on Thursday night. I love you all, and I love reading your reviews – they give me warm fuzzies. So once again, sorry for the wait, and enjoy the chapter!**

Cold water splashing across his face woke Peeta. He opened his eyes to find Katniss standing in front of his open car door holding a squirt bottle of ice-cold water, spraying mercilessly at the bridge of his nose.

"What the fuck!?" Peeta jumped from his seat – tried to jump that is. The seatbelt he wore presented a slight problem in that arena and he fell back against the seat, causing Katniss to erupt in laughter.

"Oh my god, you should've seen your face!" she gasped, but she didn't cease her spraying.

Peeta unhooked his seatbelt and grabbed the squirt bottle from her hand. "What the hell was all that for?" He stood and held the bottle above his head when she tried to grab it back from him.

"You were asleep," she smiled, "and I thought you might appreciate my creative method of waking you."

Peeta stared at her in disbelief. "You thought I would _appreciate_ that? How would you like it if I did that to you?"

A wicked smile stretched across Peeta's face as his previous comment soaked into his brain. Before Katniss could run, he grabbed her around the waist and took aim at her forehead. She screamed with laughter.

"How do you like that, huh Katniss?" Peeta laughed

Katniss was laughing so hard she could barely speak, so she settled for squealing at him again. Her body thrashed and tried to rid itself of his grasp. She turned them around so she could press her weight against the car and attempt to push him off.

Peeta wasn't having any of it, and continued to soak her face, until finally the bottle ran out of water and they were simply leaning against the car holding each other.

Silence fell as they looked into each other's eyes. Neither made any effort to move, though Peeta did open and shut his mouth several times in an attempt to speak.

Ultimately, it was Katniss who spoke.

"If you're really holding true to that whole 'men and women _can_ be friends' thing, we should really stop getting into these kinds of positions."

Peeta nodded, not really paying attention to what she was saying as his eyes darted down to her lips.

Katniss noticed.

"Peeta? Peeta!" She shoved against him suddenly, and unprepared as he was, he stumbled backward.

"Oh…uhm…yeah?" he avoided her gaze.

She chuckled. "We're here."

Peeta turned away from Katniss and found himself facing a pale orange store front. The door was a deep blue and from the brown roof hung a sign that said MELLARK BAKERY in big, white letters.

A few seconds later, Peeta noticed a blond head in the window – his brother, Rye, who winked and gave him a thumbs up before turning to yell something into the back room.

Next thing he knew, Peeta's father rushed out the door and enveloped his son in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Welcome home, Peeta."

The two embraced for what seemed like hours to Katniss, who stood uncomfortably near the car, shifting her weight from foot to foot, knowing that the strange blonde man in the window had seen her more-than-friendly interaction with Peeta.

When their hug came to an end, Peeta turned to Katniss, a thousand-megawatt smile on his face.

"Dad, this is Katniss. Katniss, this is my dad."

Much to her surprise, Mr. Mellark smiled and pulled Katniss into a hug.

"So nice to meet you, Katniss," he chuckled. "Peeta's never brought a girl home before."

Katniss's eyes widened and she shot a panicked glance a Peeta, whose face mirrored her own.

"Uh, Dad…Katniss isn't…we're not…it isn't like that."

A frown crossed Mr. Mellark's face. "Oh?"

Katniss shook her head. "We just drove up together."

Having heard this, Rye decided to finally make his appearance, exiting the store and making a beeline for Katniss.

"In that case," Rye smirked, "I'm Rye, Peeta's taller, smarter, funnier, better-looking brother. It's nice to meet you." He took her hand and kissed it.

Peeta smacked his brother on the back of the head. "Rye, cut that out. She's got a boyfriend."

Rye frowns and turns to Peeta. "That explains why you were just trying to put the moves on her, little bro."

"What I do is none of your business, Rye. Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be out banging your secretary or something?"

"At least I have a sex life."

"So there's something wrong with me for wanting to have a special relationship rather than become 'friends with benefits' to a married woman?"

"Peeta?" Katniss's voice cut through the argument and both boys turned to her. "I'm gonna go find my apartment. And I should probably call Finn. Can I stop by tomorrow?"

Peeta nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll just grab my stuff."

He opened the trunk and pulled out his suitcase before pulling Katniss into a brief hug.

"Bye, Katniss."

"See ya, Peeta."

She climbed back into the car and drove off. Peeta's eyes followed her until she disappeared around a corner.

Rye clapped his brother on the shoulder, the argument forgotten as he saw the look in his brother's eyes.

"You've got it bad, bro."


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, I feel like a horrible person – it's been way too long since I last updated. I'm sorry! The last week has just been a nightmare – my show opened and then I got sick and it all just went BLAH! For those of you who were waiting for this chapter, you can thank LydiaRose418, whose "follow" sent me an e-mail and reminded me that I needed to write this!**

"Dad, I'm taking my break!"

Peeta yanked his apron over his head and threw it onto the counter, grabbing a plate of cheese buns.

They'd arrived in upstate New York one week ago and every day since, on her lunch hour, Katniss had walked across the street from her office to the bakery so she could sit and eat with Peeta. Today she was sitting at a table by the window, watching the lunch crowd filter in and out of the tiny shop.

Peeta set the plate of cheese buns down on the table and sat in the chair across from Katniss.

"Long time, no see," he joked.

"I know, it's been a full 23 hours! How did you ever survive without me?"

Peeta smiled. "Oh please – you know you missed me."

Katniss rolled her eyes and bit into one of the buns.

"So how's Finn?" Peeta finally asked.

Katniss sucked some of the melted cheese off her index finger. "Pretty good. He got a job."

"Oh really? Where?"

"Calvin Klein," Katniss giggled. "Underwear model."

Peeta laughed – the deep, hearty laugh of a man twice his age. "It's about time he was recognized for his…talents."

"I noticed them a long time ago," Katniss quipped snootily.

"A long time ago? You mean, like, that first time you were…you did…you know…that."

Katniss laughed. "Ha! Why are you so innocent? You can't even say the word sex, for god's sake."

"I am not innocent! I can _too_ say sex. Sex. Sex. Sexsexsexsexsex!"

"I get it, I get it."

Katniss stared at him, examining. "Oh, I see what your problem is."

Peeta looked at her questioningly. "Problem? What problem?"

Katniss smiled, "_Your_ problem. Why you're so uptight and innocent and all."

"Ok," Peeta scoffed, "what's my problem?"

"You've never had great sex."

Peeta's eyes widened. "What?"

"You've never had great sex."

"Have too!"

"Oh yeah?" Katniss laughed, "With whom?"

"I don't have to tell you that." Peeta crossed his arms defensively.

Katniss nodded and took another bite of her cheese bun. A few silent moments settled over their table.

"Well, if you must know," Peeta whispers, "…Delly."

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Delly? As in Delly Cartwright? No. No, you did not have great sex with _Delly_."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's all in the name. 'Oh, that's so good, _Delly_. You make me so hot, _Delly_. Let me have you, _Delly_.' Do you see?"

Peeta shook his head. "No."

Katniss shrugged. "Well, maybe if you'd had great sex, you would."

"And you've had great sex?"

Katniss nodded. "What can I say? Finnick is a sex god, and I'm _very_ bendy."

Peeta shook his head, partly in mock disgust of Katniss's previous statement, and partly to rid his mind of the image of "bendy Katniss".

"Whatever you say, Kat."

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, Katniss occasionally moaning in between bites.

When they'd finished, Katniss unashamedly licked the plate clean before handing it to Peeta.

"So," Peeta sighed as he stood, "do you have to be back at work right away?"

Katniss checked her watch. "No, I've got about 15 more minutes."

Peeta smiled. "Good. I'm gonna go put this in the sink. Just…don't move, ok?"

"Uhm…sure."

Peeta practically ran into the backroom and deposited the plate into the sink before dashing to the cooling rack. He picked up a small pink pastry box with two forks and checked under the lid to make sure everything was still perfect.

Katniss looked up when she saw him approaching.

"About damn time, bread boy," she mumbled when he'd reached the table. "I was beginning to think the frosting monster had swallowed you whole."

Peeta pulled the box out from behind his back and placed it in front of her. Katniss stared at the lid, where, in Peeta's neat handwriting, the word _weekiversary_ had been written with a blue fountain pen.

"Well go on," Peeta smiled, "open it!"

She did.

Inside the box was a little cake shaped like the New York skyline. In loopy, emerald green, buttercreamy letters on top were the words "One week in New York!" There was a tiny fondant Katniss flower in the bottom right corner.

"Peeta…" Katniss was never good with words, and this was making her especially bad. "Peeta, this is…beautiful." She looked up into his anxious eyes. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. You…this…it…it's too pretty to eat!"

Peeta smiled. "Well, I hope that's not true, because I intend to help you do just that." He produced the two forks and handed one to her before sitting down in his chair.

Katniss smiled and absentmindedly picked up the fork, still staring at the blonde boy across from her.

"Peeta?"

Peeta didn't look up from the cake. "Yes, Katniss?"

"I'm really, really glad we're friends."


	6. Chapter 6

"I gotta say – I was surprised when you asked me to this," Katniss sighed as she bit into her giant soft pretzel. Peeta was hurriedly stuffing the change from the food stand into his pocket.

"To what?"

She gestured upwards toward the dome of Yankee's Stadium. "This. I didn't know we were that kind of friends."

"What kind of friends?" Peeta was still confused.

They fought their way through the crowd until they reached the nosebleed seats indicated on their tickets. Katniss sat first and took the drinks and nachos from Peeta so he could sit as well.

"You know," she said, "the kind of friends who do this kind of stuff together – go to sports games and hang out on the weekends. I thought we were just lunch buddies."

Peeta cringed on the word, _buddies_. He was starting to hate their "only friends" status – ever since last week when she'd gushed over the cake he'd painstakingly frosted for her by saying, "I'm really glad we're friends."

If he was being perfectly honest, he wasn't sure what they were, but "friends" just didn't seem to describe it. Sure they'd never kissed or held hands or anything – after all, she had Finnick – but sometimes it was just so easy to forget he existed when she would hug him goodbye after lunch and hold on for just a few moments too long. Or when she would moan over the flavor of the cheese buns he made every day just for her. And now, with her hair whipping round her face in the warm breeze, he wanted nothing more than to reach forward and tuck it oh-so-gently behind her ear.

"Well, I figured you ate more than just one meal a day and I had the extra ticket, and…well…you were the first person I thought of." Peeta blushed.

Katniss batted her eyelashes in an overly-flirty manner. "Do you think of me often, Peeta?" She smiled cheekily.

Peeta decided to match her teasing. "Why of course, dearest Katniss. You cross my mind constantly – I can't hide it any longer. Katniss, I must have you now!"

Katniss laughed. "Good to know, Peet."

Peeta smiled. "Now that we've got all that cleared up, give me my nachos, wench!"

Glaring, Katniss smacked Peeta in the stomach with her free hand before handing him the nachos. He chuckled and rubbed the spot she'd hit, pretending she's hurt him.

"So, who'd you have to fight up to get these fantastic seats?" Katniss joked sarcastically, gesturing to their as-far-away-as-possible placement.

"Oh, just this big hulk-type guy. But it was worth it. Only the best for you, Katniss."

Their laughter was stopped by the start of the game. Over the next few hours, Katniss watched intently as the players took their turns at bat and ran the bases. Peeta on the other hand wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to the game. He could only focus on the way Katniss's hair began to gradually fall out of its braid as the night went on, or the way her hand brushed his thigh when she reached over to steal a chip, or the breathtaking smile that lit her face whenever her team scored a home run. He was particularly amused when she became frustrated with the ump and started yelling about some player being "totally, completely safe" before slumping back into her seat with outrage. By the time the game ended, Katniss was rather depressed due to her team's loss, but Peeta was so focused on the shapes her mouth made when she complained, that he wasn't much help in the conversation.

"So how're things with Finn?"

They'd taken a taxi back to Peeta's apartment after the game and were now lounging on the old green couch in front of his television, drinking.

Katniss sighed. "Alright…I mean…it's just…we're…alright."

Peeta sat up and looked at her. "You know that answer didn't fool anyone."

She nodded. "I know. It's just…hard to do this whole long-distance thing. I mean, I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but he's over there and I'm over here. And he's been spending all this time with his coworker _Annie_. Coworker. Do you know what that means? That means she's prancing around with him in skimpy underwear all day, trying to undermine me and get into his boxer-briefs."

"I'm sure that's not true. They're probably just friends." Peeta patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Why does he have to talk about her all the time?" She buried her head in her hands.

Peeta sighed. "He probably just doesn't have anyone else there right now. And he loves you – he wouldn't ever cheat on you."

"But –"

"He won't."

She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Peeta. You really are a good friend."

Katniss sat up on her knees and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her face into his neck. After a few moments of shock, he wrapped his own arms around her and hugged her even closer.

"Peeta?" she asked after they'd been hugging for a few minutes.

"Yes, Katniss?" He hoped she didn't ask him to let go. He didn't want to yet. Or ever.

"Peeta, why don't you have a girlfriend?"

It was a simple question – one he'd asked himself many times before. And he'd never had an answer. But two weeks ago he'd found one.

Because no girl was Katniss.

Of course, he couldn't tell her that. "I don't know…I guess I just haven't found anyone interested."

Katniss pulled back. "But just look at you! All this sexiness and nothing to do with it!" She thought for a moment before clapping her hands together. "I know! I'm going to find you a girl. Starting right now. And don't worry – she'll be perfect."

He doubted it.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm not sure what people are going to think of this chapter…please review so I can know your thoughts! And ideas for future chapters all always appreciated. I LOVE YOU ALL!**

Peeta stared at the napkin in his hand. The phone in his other hand suddenly weighed a million pounds.

He thought back to the triumphant smile on Katniss's face when she'd come into the bakery for lunch that day and thrust the napkin into his hand.

"_What's this?"_

_Katniss winked. "I told you I'd find someone perfect – here she is! Her name's Madge, and believe me, you're gonna want to call this one."_

Now his fingers were subconsciously pressing the buttons on his phone. 4…6…5…9…2…4…1…send.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was cheery and bright.

"Hello, Madge?" Peeta's palms were sweating.

"Yes, can I help you?"

Gulp. "Uhm…yes…I mean…uhm…my name is Peeta. I think you gave your phone number to my friend Katniss?"

Madge squealed. "Peeta! I've been waiting for you to call! Katniss has told me sooooooo much about you!"

Peeta laughed weakly. "Yeah, she's told me plenty about you too. So…are you free tonight?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Can you pick me up at 7?"

They spent the next few minutes planning the logistics of their date before saying their goodbyes and hanging up. Peeta had one more call to make before he headed home.

Ring. Ring. Ri—"Peets!"

Peeta smiled a real, genuine smile. "Hey, Finn."

"How are you, man?"

"Oh fine, fine. I hate to rush through pleasantries, but I'm in a hurry, and I need some advice."

"How can I help?"

"Well, you see, I've got this date tonight…"

"IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! I've been trying to set you up since freshman year! Who is this chick and how the hell did she break you out from under that rock you have for a roof?"

"Ha, thanks. And I've actually never met her. Katniss set us up."

"Really? Kat? I didn't even know she had any girl friends. I figured she only had us."

"Well, I don't know if she'd really call Madge her 'friend'. I think they're more just acquaintances. And anyway, that's not why I called. I'm taking this girl, Madge, to dinner tonight, but I don't know where to go. I haven't really had a chance to explore the city yet, and I've never taken a girl out to dinner here before. So…can you help me?"

Finnick was thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know man…it's been a while since I was up in New York. I guess you should just take her to a café nearby or something. Whatever it is, you want it to be quick – the less time you spend eating, the more time you can spend back at your apartment." Peeta could practically hear Finnick's wink through the phone.

"Uh…ok…thanks, Finn."

Finnick shouted, "WAIT! Don't hang up on me yet! Dude, I've gotta talk to you about something…I need some advice. So my office hired this new girl a couple weeks ago, and I gotta tell you man, this chick…she's something else. She's got this long black hair and these green eyes that I swear could be made of emeralds. And damn, is she funny! I gotta tell you man…this girl's really special."

Peeta tensed. "Sounds like what you said about Katniss four years ago."

"I know that, and…I don't know what to do. I mean, I love Katniss, but…I mean, she won't come back here and move in with me, and I don't want to live my life in a long-distance relationship. And Annie's just so…perfect. What should I do man?"

Time seemed to stop for Peeta as he played and replayed what Finnick had just said in his brain. Finally, he found his voice enough to say, "They say if you love two people, choose the second, because if you fell in love with the second, you probably didn't really love the first."

Finnick paused. "So…I should dump Katniss."

"Yes."

Silence.

"But go easy on her," Peeta said. "She doesn't deserve to be hurt. It's not her fault that you've found Annie."

Finnick sighed. "Of course. Thanks, Peeta."

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Real quick…I just gotta know…how far have things gone with Annie? I mean…how much have you two done…romantically?"

"Don't worry man, I didn't cheat on Katniss. I haven't even kissed Annie yet."

Peeta nodded. "Does Annie feel the same way about you that you feel about her?"

"I don't know. I hope so. I think so. But I don't know. I didn't want to make a move on her while I was still with Katniss…they both deserve better than that."

"Ok. Well…you've gotta do what you've gotta do," Peeta sighed.

"You'll watch out for Katniss for me, right? Make sure she handles everything ok?"

"Uh huh."

Finnick took a deep breath. "Thanks. I'll let you go get ready for your date…I have to call Katniss. Thanks for the help, man."

"Anytime."

Peeta hung up the phone and re-dialed Madge's number. As it turned out, he wasn't free tonight. His friend needed him, and he was going to be there for her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Two chapters in one day? Guess who can update quickly...THIS GIRL!**

Thinking he had some time to kill, Peeta headed back to his apartment to change into a clean shirt before going to see Katniss. But as it turned out, Finnick works fast, and he'd barely two minutes after he walked through the door, he heard knocking.

"Peeta!" Katniss yelled from the other side. "Oh, god. Please be home. Peeta!"

He didn't even bother to finish putting his shirt on before he raced to the door and pulled the sobbing Katniss into his arms. Carefully, he scooped her up and carried her over to the couch, where he sat down with her in his lap.

"Shhh. It's ok, Katniss. It's ok. Shhh."

He continued to whisper into her hair as she cried. His lips planted soft kisses on her forehead and he pulled her tighter when she began to cry harder. And the only thing he could think was that he was responsible for this. If he hadn't advised Finn to break up with her, this never would have happened. But he had, and it did, and now Katniss was paying the consequences.

After several minutes. Katniss's cries faded into light hiccups. She wiped her sleeve over her eyes before looking into Peeta's.

"Finnick…he…" She took a deep breath. "He called and said that he wanted to see other people. And I asked him, 'what, did you decide you don't love me anymore?' And he said, 'I don't know if I ever really loved you.'"

The tears started to fall again, so Peeta pulled her back into his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Katniss. That was a really jerk think of him to say."

Katniss shook her head and pulled away slightly. "That's the thing though…I get it. Do you remember that first day we were together, and you asked me if I loved him, and I said that I thought so because I didn't know anyone who I liked more than him?"

Peeta nodded, though he didn't understand where she was going with this.

"Peeta, I didn't really love him. Yes, he was a nice guy and he was hot, but the only reason I really stayed with him for so long was because he was comfortable. It was safe with him. And it's only now that I'm realizing that I threw away the past four years of my life on some guy I didn't even love. What if I've already met the guy I'm supposed to love, and I was so busy thinking I loved Finnick that I missed him completely? Or what if he's right in front of me and up 'til now I've been too blind to notice?"

Peeta froze. Now was his chance. She was here in his arms…it would be so easy to just open his mouth and say "it's me – I'm the one you're meant to love." It would be so easy to tilt her head up slightly and kiss her. It would be so easy to do what he'd been longing to do since that first night on the side of the road.

But he didn't. He couldn't. She was broken inside, and he wouldn't take advantage of her like that.

Instead, he smoothed her hair with one hand and whispered, "he's out there's somewhere, Katniss. You haven't missed your chance. Everything's going to be ok, and if you ever need someone to cry to – I'll be here. I'll always be here."

Katniss smiled sadly. "Promise?" She extended one pinkie toward him. He smiled and returned the gesture, wrapping his own pinkie around hers.

"Promise."

* * *

"So how did your date with Madge go?"

Three days had passed since Finnick and Katniss's breakup, and last night, Peeta had finally gotten around to rescheduling his date with Madge.

"Do you honestly want to know?"

Katniss looked up at him expectantly. "Of course I want to know. She is the perfect girl after all."

On paper, Madge _was_ the perfect girl for Peeta. Blonde, beautiful, and bubbly. Their conversation had been easy enough – she had a quirky sense of humor that he appreciated, and had grown up in a pastry shop, so she was familiar with Peeta's trade. She herself was a preschool teacher, and it was clear from the look in her eyes that she loved her job.

"It was fine. She was fine. The food was fine." Peeta picked up another cheese bun.

Katniss scoffed. "Fine! I find you the _perfect_ girl, and the only description I get of your first date is _FINE!?_ That's not ok, Peeta!"

He chuckled at the adorable scowl on her face. _Damn, she's beautiful_, he thought.

"Well, that's all you're gonna get." He swallowed the last of his bun with a sense of finality.

"Are you gonna see her again?"

Peeta shook his head. "No. I mean, don't get me wrong, she was nice and all. There just wasn't…heat, you know. No spark. She tried to kiss me when I dropped her back off at home, and I didn't let her because I realized that I didn't _want_ to. You were right that she's the perfect girl. She's just not perfect for me."

"That's bull and you know it, Peeta."

"Well, that's how I feel, Katniss."

That shut her up. She sat quietly for a moment, picking the flaked parmesan off her bun.

"You're right," she finally said. "I'm sorry."

He smiled at her. "It's ok. I know that you meant well, and I do appreciate your setting us up. I just…I'm not ready yet. When I go out next, it will be with someone special. Call me a romantic, but I'm looking for true love."

Katniss nodded. "I get it. I won't push you, Peeta. But if you ever need help with the ladies, I'm here."

"Always?" he smirked at their little inside joke.

"Always."


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning - many of the lines in this chapter came from When Harry Met Sally. I don't mean to copywrite, but there are just so many good lines in that movie, that I needed a way to use them. Also (I just realized I've never mentioned this) I don't own the Hunger Games. You're shocked, I'm sure.**

"Katniss?"

Katniss looked up from the plaque in front of the supposed mummy display. They were visiting some random museum Peeta had located behind the laundry mat, and Katniss found herself doubting the authenticity of more than one display.

"Yes, Peeta?"

He looked down at the ground. "I think it's time you get back out there. You know, start seeing someone again."

She shook her head. "Oh no, Peeta…I'm not ready yet."

"Come on, Kat – it's been almost a month since you and Finnick broke up. And you said yourself that you were worried that you'd spent so much time with him that you'd miss your chance at actually finding Mr. Right. Besides, I hate seeing you all lonely and depressed."

"I'm not depressed," Katniss snapped, though she knew he had, in fact, hit the nail on the head.

Peeta held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. But please, just think about it. I think it would be really good for you."

Katniss nodded and went back to reading. They stood in awkward silence for a few moments.

"You know," Peeta finally said, "I have a theory that Egyptian hieroglyphics are actually an ancient comic strip about a character named Sphinxie."

Katniss tried to make a strait face, but her giggles won out, and soon she and Peeta were laughing their way out the front door.

It was nearly midnight when Katniss fell onto Peeta's couch, exhausted and frustrated.

"That was the most uncomfortable night of my life," she moaned

Peeta sat down beside her. "Well, the first date back is always hard…"

"You've only had one date since we've got here – how do you know it won't get worse?"

"How much worse can it get than having her lean in for the kiss and turn away?"

They both fell silent as they were suddenly reminded of their first night together out by the side of the highway, and the electric current that had nearly pulled them together.

Finally, Katniss spoke. "We're talking dream date compared to my horror. Started out fine –he's a very nice person – and we're sitting and talking at this Ethiopian restaurant that he wanted to go to. And I was making jokes, like 'hey, I didn't even know they had food in Etheopia. This'll be a quick meal – we'll order two empty plates and then we can leave.'"

Peeta chuckled – he had to admit, it was a good joke. Katniss sat up and nodded at him.

"Nothing from him! Not even a smile…and to top it off, he spent the rest of the meal ogling our waitress and feeling his own biceps."

Peeta laughed. "I'm sorry," he sighed, "it's not funny, but it so, so is!"

Katniss just glared at him.

"Katniss, I think this takes a long time. It might be months before you're actually able to enjoy dating. And god knows how long before you're actually able to sleep with someone."

"Oh, I slept with him."

Peeta stared at her. "You did?"

"Yeah."

"Huh."

Katniss scoffed. "I suppose you're one of those people who needs the whole 'love' thing for sex."

"I do not! I just…I prefer it that way. Making love when it is actually making _love_ – not the way you do it, like you're out for revenge or something. Makes me sick."

"Oh does it really? Because last time I checked, you weren't doing so hot in the relationship department either, Peeta. How long has it been since you had a date?"

"Well forgive me for having some standards."

"I have standards!"

"Oh yeah? Where'd you meet the guy you went out with tonight? The adult video store? And who the fuck names their kid 'Cato' anyway?"

Katniss stood and headed to the door. "I don't have to listen to this crap, Peeta! I'm my own woman and I can do whatever the hell I bloody want! You don't have the right to judge me, you sycophantic prick!"

"Can I say something now?"

Katniss nodded.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He crossed to her and pulled her into his arms where she stood in the doorway. "I didn't mean it…I just worry about you, ok?"

"I know. And I'm sorry – I think it's actually really cute that you're looking for something more. You've got so much good in you, Peeta – I wish I did too."

"You have plenty of good in you, Katniss."

"No I don't. I just…I'm no good with people. It's why Finn broke it off with me, it's why I don't have any friends other than you – and God only knows why you even bother to put up with me. I just wish I could be more like you."

"You're perfect just the way you are." He planted a kiss to the top of her head. "Katniss?"

"Yes, Peeta?"

He took a deep breath. It was time. "Katniss, I love you."

Katniss snuggled closer into his chest. "Thanks, buddy. I love you too."

_Buddy_. Peeta never knew one small word could hurt so much.


	10. Chapter 10

**Everything in my life has been crazy for the past week or so – from sleepovers with friends to tests to boy trouble (ick!) and now I'm SO SORRY I didn't update sooner.**

It was quarter past midnight, and Katniss was nowhere to be seen.

She and Peeta had developed a sort of ritual: Katniss would go out with a guy, sleep with him, and then immediately return to Peeta's apartment to report on the success of the evening. He would smile at her and nod as she gushed over the good ones, and would laugh at the horror stories she told of the others.

Though it killed Peeta to watch her date every man in New York except for him, nights like this still gave him hope. Because no matter how good or bad the date went, she would always leave Joe Shmoe's bed with a hasty "that was fun" or "we should do that again sometime" or "I'll call you" and run back to Peeta. Because he was the only one with whom she'd ever stay the night.

But tonight, she wasn't there.

Peeta paced the length of his apartment back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until his 4 a.m. alarm finally went off. He paced until he realized there was no point in waiting up because there was no way she was coming. He paced until his feet were sore from his walking so long. And then he paced until his father called to tell him that he had 15 minutes to be walking in the bakery's door. Then 10 minutes. Then 5.

* * *

"Where have you been!?" Mr. Mellark boomed from across the kitchen.

Peeta ran his hand through his messy hair. He hadn't had time to shower – he'd barely had time to get to the bakery!

"Sorry, dad."

Mr. Mellark shook his head. "Peeta, we're supposed to open in half an hour and the bread is no where near ready. I told you yesterday to be here by 5 and you didn't so up and I've been here just –" And then he looked at Peeta. He looked at the bags under Peeta's eyes. He looked at the pain on his son's face. He looked at the boy he'd raised, who was now ready to fall apart in front of him.

"What happened, son?"

Peeta took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to say it without crying.

"She didn't come."

Mr. Mellark was puzzled. "Who didn't come?"

"Katniss," Peeta croaked. "Every night she comes to my place to talk about her night. Every night she sleeps on my couch, wrapped in my arms. Every night I get to pretend that she's mine and mine alone – that she's not going out with every man in this city but that she's going out with me. And last night she didn't come."

"She probably just fell asleep in her own home."

Peeta shook his head. "No. I know that she didn't – she had a date last night. She always comes to me after a date. But she didn't come, which must mean she slept at his apartment."

Mr. Mellark sighed. "Peeta, you know that you have no claim over where she sleeps."

"I know that."

"Have you ever thought of maybe telling the poor girl how you feel about her, rather than just waiting for her to figure it out as you slowly go insane?"

His dad was right, and Peeta knew it. He had to tell Katniss how he feels, and he had to do it in a way that she couldn't possibly mistake it as just a friendly gesture. Yes, he would tell her. He would tell her at lunch.

* * *

"Hi Peeta! Hey, Mr. M!"

At exactly 12:30, Katniss came skipping through the Bakery's front door. That right there should have told Peeta something was up (Katniss rarely skipped), but he was too nervous to pay any attention to that minor detail.

"Hello, Katniss," Mr. Mellark smiled. "Someone's been very anxiously waiting for you." He winked.

Katniss laughed. "I'm sure he has. Could you please tell him to get his ass out here? I have news!"

Mr. Mellark turned to yell into the back of the shop, but found it unnecessary, as Peeta was already walking out through the back doors.

"Hey, Kat. Sorry I'm late. I have sustenance, though." Peeta held up the plate of steaming hot cheese buns.

"Well, let's not have them getting cold on us!" Katniss slid into her seat in her table by the window. Peeta sat down opposite her.

"You didn't come over last night," he said.

"Oh yeah…sorry. I hope you wait up too late. I sort of stayed somewhere else last night."

"Your place?"

Katniss blushed. _Katniss blushing?_

"No, not my place. Actually, I'm glad you brought this up, because I've been dying to tell you all day. I kind of met this guy…"

Peeta choked on his cheese bun. "What kind of guy?" he wheezed.

"Well…his name is Gale, and he's really funny and smart and handsome and…I like him."

"And the sex tired you out so much that you stayed at his place?"

"No…actually…we didn't have sex. We just stayed up all night talking."

Peeta tried to remember how to form words with his mouth. "That's…uh…that's…" _terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, wtf?_ "…great, Katniss. I'm so happy for you."

Katniss smiled. "Me too! Ahh, I can't wait for you to meet him! We're going out for drinks tonight at the club – do you wanna come with us?"

Peeta nodded halfheartedly, hoping this guy would be the scum of the earth. But he knew that if Katniss liked this Gale fellow, he probably would too.

Damn.


	11. Chapter 11

"Peeta, over here!"

Katniss waved from where she stood in the crowded bar. Peeta headed for her, but couldn't help looking around at every man in the room, silently asking himself, _could that be Gale? Could that man be my worst nightmare?_

"I'm so glad you could make it," Katniss whispered as she pulled Peeta into a hug. "Gale just called – he's running a couple of minutes late, but he'll be here soon."

Peeta nodded. "Ah. Ok."

"He said to go ahead and get started without him." She motioned to one of the waitresses. "Hard lemonade, please."

The waitress turned to Peeta, and he could feel her eyes running appreciatively up and down his body. He'd dressed up tonight – tailored black slacks and a navy blue, button down shirt. If he was going to face his opposition for Katniss's affections, he wanted to make it known that he was not to be counted out.

"Beer. Whatever you've got."

The waitress nodded and winked at him before going to fetch their drinks.

"So how was work?" Katniss smiled at Peeta.

"Pretty good. Got an order for a personalized cake today – it's for a 6-year-old girl's birthday party, so I spent the afternoon attempting to make a unicorn out of frosting."

Katniss laughed, but stopped quickly, grabbing Peeta's forearm.

"That's him!"

Peeta followed Katniss's gaze to the door, where he spotted his worst nightmare. _Well, if it isn't Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome himself._ The man in question looked around until he spotted Katniss, at which point he broke into a breathtaking smile.

"Catnip!" He called as he fought his way towards her.

As soon as Gale was close enough, Katniss grabbed his hand and pulled him to her side.

"Peeta this is Gale, Gale this is—"

Gale's mouth closed down on Katniss's for a long moment. Peeta shifted his weight from foot to foot and waited, counting the seconds. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…_

Gale pulled back. "Nice to meet you Peeta." He stuck out his hand. "Gale Hawthorne. Sorry about that. Just couldn't help myself. You know how it is."

Even in the dim lighting, Peeta could see the blush on Katniss's cheeks.

Peeta forced a smile onto his face. "Not a problem. It's nice to meet you too. Katniss was gushing over you at lunch today."

Katniss suddenly remembered how to speak. "I wasn't gushing…"

Peeta stuck his tongue out at her. "Yes you were." To Gale, "yes she was."

Gale chuckled and placed his arm around Katniss's shoulder's, tucking her into his side. "Is that true Catnip? Did you _gush_ over me?"

Katniss was suddenly very interested in her shoes.

Peeta saved her. "What's up with the 'Catnip' thing, may I ask?"

"I misheard her," Gale smiled, "when we met. She said, 'I'm Katniss" but she was so quiet that I thought she'd said 'I'm Catnip'. And she absolutely hates the nickname, so naturally, I'm going to use it all the time."

Gale bent down to kiss her again, and after a few seconds, Peeta tried to calm the rage boiling up inside him by inspecting the contents of the beer that had just arrived. He'd been having a hard time disliking Gale while they were talking, but when Gale kissed Katniss, none of their conversation mattered to Peeta.

"Can I get you anything else?"

The waitress from earlier placed a hand on Peeta's thigh, a bit too high up for comfort. She smiled at him.

"Scotch on the rocks," Gale injected, pulling his mouth away from Katniss's.

The girl nodded. "And for you?" she directed at Peeta.

"None for me, thanks."

Disappointed, the waitress wandered away from the group to get Gale's drink.

Katniss hit Peeta's shoulder.

"What are you doing!?" she asked. "That girl is so totally into you, it's not even funny."

Peeta shook his head. "I don't know…she's not really my type."

"How can you say that? You barely even know her. And she's pretty."

Gale nodded. "Hot stuff. Not as hot as Catnip, but hot none the less."

_Well at least we can agree on part of that statement,_ Peeta thought. "I don't know…"

The girl came back, handed Gale his drink, and quickly turned to walk away. Katniss shot her hand out and grabbed the girl's arm.

"Wait! What's your name?" Katniss smiled at the girl.

_She's not gonna do this…She's not gonna do this…She's not gonna do this…_

"Rue. Why?"

_She's gonna do this._

"Well Rue, I'm Katniss, and my friend Peeta here would really like to take you out sometime, but he's a little shy when it comes to girls, so if you could help him out a bit…"

Rue's face lit up. "Well, I get off at 7 tomorrow – would Peeta like to pick me up then?"

Peeta started to refuse, but Katniss was too fast for him. "It's a date!" she cried.

"I'll see Peeta then." Rue smiled and winked once at Peeta before disappearing into the crowd.

As soon as Rue was out of earshot, Peeta turned on Katniss.

"What was that!?"

Katniss smirked. "I just got you a date for tomorrow night. You're welcome."

"Go get it, man!" Gale held up a hand for a high-five, which Peeta halfheartedly returned.

_I have to go out with that girl tomorrow night. Katniss is dating someone else. I have to move on._

It didn't take long for Peeta to finish his beer…plus five more.


	12. Chapter 12

**Oh wow, the last chapter got SUCH a great response! Oh, and this story now has over 100 follows! That's awesome! I know you're anxious, but I have one little piece of business to take care of before hand.**

**As peetafan (a guest reviewer) pointed out, we are now more than 10 chapters in and so far, Katniss has shown no interest in Peeta. So here comes my heartfelt plea: please do not stop reading. I promise that this is not only an Everlark story, but that it is an Everlark romance. Be patient with me. Katniss doesn't strike me as the type of person who is just going to fall into Peeta's arms, and I want to solidify their friendship before I get them together. Yes, this makes me a total hypocrite – I usually don't start reading a fanfic until there's at least 5,000 words just so I won't have to wait for the good stuff.**

**On a related note, if any of you have ideas of ways to get them together (or ways to break up Katniss and Gale), I am more than happy to hear them. I do use some of the suggestions that y'all send in, and even if I don't use them right away, I will use them eventually. I love you all! Please keep reading and reviewing.**

"Hurry up! Gale's picking me up in less than 10 minutes!"

Peeta walked out of his closet, shirtless. In each hand he held a polo shirt – one green, one red. He held them up for her inspection.

"Which?"

Katniss stared very hard for a moment, then pointed to the green shirt and said, "That one." He tossed the red one onto the bed and pulled the green over his head.

"Thanks."

Katniss smiled. "No problem. So…are you excited? The third date can be a big deal, if you know what I mean."

Peeta shrugged. "Eh…yeah…that…I don't think we'll be doing _that_ tonight."

"Well why not!?"

"Because when I finally do do that again, I want it to mean something. I mean sure, Delly was great in bed, but I only did it with her in the first place because I was tired of Finn making fun of me for being a virgin. Now that there's no one to make fun of me, I'm free to wait for it to be special."

Katniss scoffed. "I can make fun of you. And how could it not be special!? Rue is so nice."

He shook his head. "It's not about how _nice_ she is."

"Then what is it about?" Katniss was completely exasperated.

"I don't wanna say."

"Come on Peeta, tell me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Peeta…"

"I don't love her, ok?" Peeta yelled.

Katniss fell silent, surprised by Peeta's outburst. "But…how do you know you don't?"

"Because…because I love someone else." Peeta studied his shoes as he spoke.

"Who?"

He shook his head. "That's not important…"

"Peeta," Katniss stepped forward and pulled his chin up until his eyes met hers. "It's me. You can tell me anything."

Peeta knew now wasn't the time to think. So, bypassing all natural instincts, he quickly whispered, "you."

Silence.

"Me?"

Silence.

"Yeah."

Silence.

"You're sure?"

Peeta laughed. "Of course I'm sure. Katniss, I've loved you since the day we met. It kills me to see you with Gale – to see him get to kiss you and touch you and tell you all the time how much he cares about you and know that I can't. I want you to be happy, and if he makes you truly happy, I'll support you with him. I just wish…I wish you would be happy with me."

"Peeta…I…"

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Katniss grabbed her purse. "That's Gale."

"You're just gonna leave? After all of that?"

Katniss closed her eyes. "Look, Peeta, this is just…it's…it's a lot to process. Even if I did feel the same way, I _can't_. I'm with Gale."

Peeta grabber her arm. "You don't have to be."

"Yes I do! He likes me and he gets me and –"

"I get you too, Katniss. Better than he does. You know it."

Katniss shook off his hand. "Look Peeta, I can't deal with this right now. I'm gonna go with Gale, and we can…I…I'll think about things. And I'll talk to you tomorrow at lunch, ok?"

"But Katniss –"

She opened the door and slipped out with a hurried, "have fun with Rue."

_Damn it._


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok, I got such a great response from that last chapter! Keep those reviews coming :D. I'm particularly enjoying everyone's opinions of Gale – some of you seem to love him, some of you have rage. It's quite humorous.**

**Read and Review!**

"Is everything alright, Peeta?" Rue asked as they walked arm and arm through time square. "You've been acting strange all week."

Peeta removed his harm from hers and took a step back. "Rue…I…I can't do this anymore?"

"Do what?"

Peeta sighed. "Us. I can't do us anymore."

Rue fell silent. "Oh…is this about Katniss?"

"What?"

"Katniss. You know, grey eyes, brown hair, about this tall…" she held her hand up at what she approximated as Katniss's height.

Peeta shook his head. "Yes, yes I know _who_ Katniss is, but why do you assume this is about her?"

Rue laughed. "Please Peeta. I may not have a fancy college degree, but I'm not an idiot. I've seen you…with her. When you look at her, it's like…it's like you're a blind man seeing the sun for the first time."

"I didn't realize I was that obvious…"

"Do you love her?"

Peeta looked up into Rue's face – her features etched in pain as though she were dreading his answer. But he knew he owed her the truth.

"Yes."

Rue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. They stood in silence for a moment.

Finally, Rue opened her eyes once more. "Does she know?"

Peeta nodded.

"When did you tell her?"

"About a week ago."

"What did she say?"

Now it was Peeta's turn to close his eyes, eyebrows drawing together and lips tightening.

"She hasn't. I've been trying to call her ever since, she just won't talk to me. She…she doesn't even come to the bakery for lunch anymore. I don't know how she feels."

Rue sighed. "So…we're over?"

Peeta nodded. "I can't continue to be with you when I love someone else. You deserve better."

"What if I don't want better?"

Silence. Pain.

"I won't give you any less."

Silence.

Rue reached forward and pulled Peeta into a hug.

"I love you, Peeta Mellark," she whispered in his ear.

Peeta sighed into her hair. "Thank you for understanding."

"They say 'when you love someone, let them go. If they're yours, they will come back to you'. So goodbye Peeta. And if you ever need…anything at all…call me."

"I will."

Rue released him, turned, and walked away, leaving Peeta standing in the middle of the square. She was gone. He would miss her.

But right now, he needed to get to Katniss.

* * *

"Gotta say," Gale murmured as he pulled up to Katniss's apartment building, "I'm a little surprised you've been spending the night at home so much lately."

Katniss sat in the passenger's seat, hands clasped together, staring at the floor. "I have to tell you something."

"Ok."

Deep breath. "Peeta told me last week that he loves me."

Silence.

"How do you feel about him?"

Katniss shook her head. "I don't know. I mean…I didn't think I felt anything. And I've been so happy with you…but then I was laying in bed last night thinking about it and I realized…I think I might love him too."

Gale nodded. "And he…being with him, even in the platonic sense…he makes you happy?"

She nodded. "But you do too."

"But you don't love me."

She shook her head. "I want to."

"But you don't."

Silence.

"Katniss…I…" Gale took a deep breath. "I'm calling this off. You should be happy. He's a good guy…he'll take care of you."

"You're a good guy, too."

"Thank you, but I know you love him. He's all you talk about. And I don't want to let you go, but I'd rather you be happy with someone else than unhappy with me."

Katniss looked into his eyes. "You really are a great guy, Gale."

He chuckled sadly. "I know. I hate that about myself sometimes."

She leaned over the console and kissed his cheek tenderly. "Can we still be friends?"

"Well now that you're going to be with Peeta, the position for your best friend's gonna be available. I can't let that slot be left empty, can I?"

Katniss unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, sliding out of her seat and onto the sidewalk. "See you soon?"

"See you soon."

She closed the door and watched as he drove off into the night. Once he was out of sight, she looked down at her watch. 10:30. She could run upstairs to change clothes quickly and then go over to Peeta's apartment. She needed to see him. She needed to tell him that she was sure about him now.

Quickly, she ran up the stairs to the third floor. The light from the hallway lamps was dim, and against the wall next to her door was a shadowed figure. Upon closer inspection, it was a man.

Blonde hair. Strong arms. And a grey _Mellark Bakery_ sweatshirt.

Peeta was sleeping against her door.

"Peeta?" Katniss shook him awake. "Peeta, wake up."

He snorted as he came back into consciousness. "Katniss?"

She smiled. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry to wake you."

"At least you didn't use a squirt bottle this time."

"Hmm…it may have been slightly cruel, but it was certainly effective."

He laughed softly. "So…you haven't been coming to the bakery for lunch."

"I was busy with work."

"And you wouldn't return my calls."

"I needed time to think."

"And now?"

She took a deep breath.

"Let's go inside, and I'll tell you what I think we should do."

Katniss helped him stand up after unlocking her front door. It was time to be honest, both with Peeta and herself.

Katniss had never been more terrified in her life.


	14. Chapter 14

**There was SUCH a good response from the last chapter, I decided to give you what some of you have been waiting for. This chapter is on the shorter side, mostly because I didn't really know what to do with it. The chapters will become longer soon – I promise. The story's also gonna pick up, and we'll start to really discover the reasons behind the "M" rating, but for now, bare with me.**

"Do you want anything to drink?"

Katniss tossed her keys onto the coffee table as she walked into the Kitchen.

Peeta watched her, ringing his fingers together anxiously. "Water?" he said.

Katniss did not respond, but returned to the living room a moment later with two water bottles in her left hand. She handed one to Peeta.

"So…" Peeta cleared his throat. "You said you have a plan?"

Katniss nodded. "I've spent the last week thinking a lot about you. About us. And…tonight, I spoke to Gale about it."

Peeta's heart sank at the mentioning of Gale's name.

"And what did Gale have to say?" he asked.

She looked down at her water bottle and began thoughtfully unscrewing the cap.

"He said…he said that he thinks that I love you."

_What?_

"He does?" Katniss nodded. "And what do you think?"

Deep breath. "I think I might, too."

Peeta stopped breathing. _She loves me. She loves me._

Katniss looked up at him, concern coloring her eyes. "Well…say something?"

"You love me…" He grinned from ear to ear. "You love me. Katniss, I can't tell you how desperately I wanted to hear those words from you. I…I don't even know what to do now. I think…I want…I _need_ to kiss you now."

Peeta moved one hand up to cup her face, pushing back a loose strand of hair as he leaned in. _It's happening. It's really happening._

But in true Katniss Everdeen fashion, her head turned just in time, so his lips caught her cheek. Peeta groaned.

"Kat…please…"

Katniss placed her hands over his. "Peeta believe me, I want to as well. But I need to know, is all of this just because things haven't been going well for you romantically lately? I don't…I don't want to get into something with you if you only said 'I love you' because things weren't going right with Rue or something. This – right here, in your arms – it's where I want to be. But…but I don't want to get hurt, and you have greater potential to hurt me than anyone else on the planet."

Peeta's thumbs began to rub in circles on her cheeks. "I would never hurt you, Katniss. I love you. I've known I loved you for a while."

"I wish I'd realized it sooner. When I realized it tonight, all I could think was 'I've gotta go see Peeta right now.' I think that when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." She looked deep into his eyes and moved her hands to wrap around his neck. "You're the one, Peeta."

Peeta leaned in once more and this time Katniss didn't turn away. Their lips met in a soft, sweet embrace. He captured her lower lip between his and sucked it into his mouth. She moaned and moved to straddle him, but his hands moved down and caught her waist.

"Katniss," Peeta sighed, "no."

Confused, Katniss pulled back to the other end of the couch. "No?" she asked.

Peeta shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to…do that with you. It's just…if we go anywhere beyond innocent kisses…I won't be able to stop myself from going all the way with you."

"But I want us to go all the way."

"Well I don't. Not yet at least. I want…I want us to take this slow." He took her hands in his. "You're my forever Katniss. We have room to take our time here. I want us to be together emotionally before we're together physically."

"But…"

"Please?"

Katniss exhaled. She knew Peeta was a romantic at heart, and no matter how badly her body wanted his, she would wait. Peeta did things for her all the time – this was something she could do for him.

"Can I ask one thing?" Katniss murmured.

"What?"

She blushed. "Can I kiss you again?"

A smile overtook Peeta's face. "I thought you'd never ask."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hehehe from your reviews, I take it you all enjoyed the last chapter ;) I enjoyed writing it too. Keep those reviews coming!**

At 4:00 on the nose, Peeta's phone alarm went off. He drifted slowly back into consciousness, and as he did so, he couldn't help but notice a warm something pressed up against his chest. When his eyes opened and saw the mess of tangled brown hair fanned out around the top of the warm thing, memories of the night before came flooding back into his mind.

_She loves me. She kissed me. She slept in my arms again. She's mine._

Slowly, he attempted to remove himself from the too-small couch without waking Katniss.

It didn't work.

Her arm wound its way around his waist and she snuggled in closer to him, mumbling "just five more minutes."

Peeta chuckled. "You can sleep as long as you like," he whispered in her ear, "but I've gotta go home and then head over to the bakery for work."

Katniss's eyes shot open. "Peeta?" she looked into his blue orbs for a moment before allowing a breathtaking smile to fill her face. "Peeta," she sighed before leaning up to kiss him.

He returned the kiss eagerly, molding his lips to hers and pulling her body tight against his. He could feel a certain part of his lower anatomy beginning to stir as her body shifted against him.

"I have to go," Peeta said apologetically as he broke away from her. "I'm sorry."

Katniss sat up. "It's ok. I know you have to work."

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Come see me for lunch?"

"You bet." Her smile melted Peeta's heart.

"I'll see you then."

* * *

"You're here early," Mr. Mellark mused as Peeta sauntered through the back door of the bakery.

"What can I say – I slept really well last night. No need to battle with the alarm clock today." Peeta's face was the picture of joyful serenity.

"And why," his father asked, "did you sleep so well?"

Peeta threw his apron over his head and moved to the counter to begin mixing dough. "Oh, nothing really. Just that Katniss and I stayed together last night."

"Ah. So I take it she broke up with that other fellow she was dating?"

Peeta nodded. "Yup. She'll be spending nights at my house from now on."

Mr. Mellark turned away from the cupcakes he was frosting and faced his son. "And what happens when she finds someone else? When the next guy comes along and she leaves you? Are you going to go into another one of the depressions you've been in for the past week?"

"There's not going to be anyone else."

"How do you know?"

Peeta couldn't hold back his smile. "Because last night, she kissed me."

Silence. But this was a new silence. This was the unbelieving, indescribable, gleeful silence of a miracle happening. It stretched on for a minute or so before Mr. Mellark finally broke it by scooping his son up into a hug, throwing his head back in the air like a young boy, and whooping.

"I told you! I told you she would come around if you just gave her time and you did and she did and…and…and…oh, I'm just so happy for you, son!"

Peeta chuckled, "Thanks dad."

"Is she coming over for lunch?"

"Yeah. In fact, I was wondering…do we have any extra fondant?"

* * *

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

Katniss fished through her bag until her hand finally captured her phone. "Hello?" she answered.

"_Katniss?_"

"That's me. Who, may I ask, is calling?"

"_It's me…Gale._"

Katniss paused. _Oh no, he's not regretting our breakup from last night, is he?_

"Hi…Gale."

"_Hey. So…I know last night I mentioned that since you were gonna be with Peeta and everything…that I could be your new best friend. And…well…I'm ready to start the job, if that's alright with you._"

Confusion. "Uh…sure. I mean yes! Yes, you can be my best friend."

"_Good. So…uhm…how did things go with Peeta last night? I assume you went and talked to him._"

"Yeah…I did. And he's thrilled."

"_Damn it._"

"Gale!"

"_I know, I know – we're just friends._"

"Thank you. And thank you for calling. I've been worried about you this morning. I would've called you…I just wasn't sure if you'd need…space."

"_I only need space if you do. I love you, Katniss, and if the only way I can be in your life is as your best friend…well, I'll take whatever I can get._"

"That means a lot to me. I'd love to stay and chat more, but I've gotta go. I have a lunch d…appointment."

"_Ah. Hot date with Peeta?_"

"…Yeah. I'll talk to you later."

"_Goodbye, Katniss._"

She hung up her phone and slipped it back into her bag as she approached the door of the bakery. She was barely through the door before she was enveloped in the strong arms of her blonde-haired baker. He kissed her just under her ear, causing her to shiver, and directed her to their traditional table.

"Sit right here," he whispered in her ear. "Don't go anywhere."

She shook her head, partially to answer him and partially to situate her body slightly closer to his.

"I'm not going anywhere. Ever."


	16. Chapter 16

**Long waits seem to be my specialty…sorry about that. I actually had to reread the story up to this point just to remember what's happened so far. Special thanks to Haaailey for her review reminding me to update – it gave me the push I needed.**

**That said, this chapter is a bit shorter (ok, a lot) than usual, because my life is currently a mass of craziness. I'll try to update again soon, and hopefully this chapter will tide you over for a couple days…I hope.**

**Enjoy!**

"Katniss?"

Peeta pulled her attention away from her people-watching so she would turn to look at him. His hands were behind his back, holding something.

"What have you got there, Peeta?" she smiled.

"Ok…before I show you…just don't freak out, ok? I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and…well…today just seemed like a good day, ok?"

Katniss laughed. "Ok! Now show me!"

Peeta pulled his hands around from behind his back, and dangling from one strong index finger hung a cupcake display tower, covered with twenty tiny cakes, each with a fondant flower and a word iced on it. As he set it down on the table, Katniss began to read, starting at the top.

"Katniss…" she read aloud, "meeting… you… was… fate… becoming… your… friend… was… choice… but… falling… in… love… with… you… was… beyond… my… control."

Silence.

"Do you like it?" Peeta prompted, bending down to her level and gently nudging her chair.

Suddenly, Katniss's lips were on his. "I love you too, Peeta," she whispered against his mouth.

After a few seconds, Peeta pulled back and sat in his chair. "Dig in," he smiled.

Katniss grabbed the first "you" and pulled the wrapping away from the cake. She moaned as she bit into it.

"Oh my god, Peeta this is amazing," she said, but her mouth was so full of cupcake that it came out more like, "Oooh mah gah, Peetah tis is amahzang."

He laughed. "I'm glad you like it."

"You know I'll never be able to finish these on my own."

"You can always share them with me!" Peeta smiled.

"Hahaha, maybe I will. Can you put the extras in a box and bring them home with you tonight? I'll come over after work."

Peeta was suddenly nervous. "That reminds me of something…"

"What?"

He cleared his throat. "Well…I was thinking…what if you didn't have to come over…"

Her face contorted with confusion. "You want to come to my place?"

"No…no, I meant…what if no one had to "go over" to anyone's place."

"Then we wouldn't be together."

"Ok…what if we move in together and you understand what I'm saying…"

Silence.

"You want to move in together?"

Peeta nodded.

"Peeta…we just started going out less than 24 hours ago…"

Peeta rose from his chair and knelt beside her, holding her hands in his. "But just think about it, we sleepover all the time anyway, and I don't intend to have that change. Come on, it will be great."

Katniss shook her head to clear it. "But what if we break up?"

Silence.

"Break up?" Peeta paused. "Who says we're gonna break up?"

"Well have you ever been in a relationship where you haven't broken up?"

"Well…no…but…"

"Peeta," Katniss said as she noticed the hurt look in his eyes, "I'm really excited about this – about us – but I don't want to give up my home."

"Will you ever want to give it up?"

"…I don't think so."

Silence.

Katniss stood, bringing Peeta up with her, and placed one hand on his chest. "I've gotta get back to work…I think we both just need to think a bit. I'll come over after work, ok?"

Peeta slowly nodded, not really listening.

Katniss kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the cupcakes."


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm such a horrible person for not updating sooner! DON'T HATE ME! Here's another chapter to placate you until I get some more free time. Review!**

Peeta was so useless after his lunch with Katniss that his father sent him home. At least Mr. Mellark had been kind enough to pass his son's dismissal off as a result of the nearly-vacant bakery, but they both knew better.

Once through his apartment door, Peeta pulled off his double-knotted shoes and grabbed a beer from the fridge. It was only 2 in the afternoon – Katniss wouldn't be there for at least another four hours. Sighing, Peeta turned on the television and resigned himself to waiting.

* * *

She was barely through the door before picking up her phone and dialing the number. Katniss needed to talk to someone _now_, and Gale seemed as good a person as any. She held the phone to her ear and waited.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring._

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, it's me."

"_Hey Katniss. What's up? I thought you had a date with Peeta…"_

"I did."

"_Then why are you calling me?"_

"Peeta…he…he…he asked me to move in with him."

Gale was silent on the other line, absorbing the information.

"_And what did you say?"_

"Well…I said no."

Gale exhaled a sigh of relief.

"_Ok…"_

"I mean, it's not that I don't like Peeta. I just…it's so soon…"

"_You're right. It is soon. Maybe you should just take it slow for a little while. I mean, that boy's waited this long for you – what's a little longer gonna hurt him?"_

Katniss nodded before remembering that Gale couldn't see her. "You're right. It's no big deal. Thanks, Gale."

"_Don't mention it. And hey, if things with Peeta get to be too much, just call me and we'll go out and get you drunk, ok?"_

"You got it. Bye."

"_Goodbye, Katniss."_

She tried to focus for the rest of the day – she really did try. She answered calls and wrote e-mails and did research, but it was all hollow and meaningless.

At 5:30, she shut down her computer and drove to Peeta's apartment. A quick knock is all it took for the door to swing open and reveal a very broken-looking Peeta.

"Hey," Katniss said softly.

"Hi."

Katniss sighed. "Can we talk?"

Peeta nodded and let her in.

"So…" she started, but Peeta stopped her.

"Look," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the couch, "I've been thinking, Katniss, and I just can't rationalize your dislike of our moving in together. We always sleep in the same apartment anyway, and I love you for god's sake – I'm not going to be breaking up with you any time soon. So please, please, _please_…just say yes."

"Peeta, I told you no. I just can't right now."

"Katniss why not?"

"It's too soon!"

"Is this about Gale?"

Silence.

She shook her head incredulously. "What?"

Peeta matched her anger head-on. "Are you saying no to me because you want to keep your own apartment so you can fuck Gale behind my back?"

His cheek was suddenly radiating pain from the red hand-print engraved on it.

"How. Dare. You." And she left.

* * *

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello?"

"_Gale? Are you there?"_

He smiled. "Hey, Katniss. What's up?"

"_I just left Peeta's."_

"And…"

"_I think…I think it's over."_

"What? Why?"

"_He…he accused me of wanting to cheat on him. He thinks that's why I don't want to move in with him."_

"Oh…Kat, I'm so sorry…"

"_Is your offer still available?"_

"I'll meet you at Cinna's in ten minutes."


	18. Chapter 18

Gale licked a drop of scotch from the rim of his glass before loudly setting the glass on the table.

"So what exactly happened, Katniss?"

Katniss was squirming absentmindedly on her red velvet stool. "Well, I told you about how Peeta asked me to move in with him, right?"

Gale nodded.

"Well…I told him that I wasn't ready and could we please just take it slow and…and he accused me of wanting to cheat on him with you."

"So what did you do?"

Katniss suddenly took rapt interest of the vodka soda in her hand. "I slapped him. And I left."

"Did either of you say that you were breaking up?"

Katniss thought for a second. "Well…no. I guess not."

He nodded. "Then I think this is just a fight. You two will get through this – it's going to be fine, Kat."

"Why are you so damn supportive?" Katniss snapped. "Aren't you supposed to be in love with me or something?"

"When you love someone you help them get what they need to be happy. You need Peeta. It kills me, believe me. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than see you kiss another man. But I'd rather die a _million_ deaths than to have you by my side when I know you're meant to be somewhere else."

Silence.

Katniss breathed, "you _do_ love me."

Gale tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. "I do."

Katniss rose from her chair and leaned up on tip-toes to gain access to Gale's lips. No sooner had she touched them with her own before he was pushing her away.

"Katniss," he sighed, his face creased in pain, "don't. You'll regret it if you do. Go back to Peeta. Hold him. Kiss him. Tell him you love him."

He immediately grabbed his coat and hers, handing the latter to her and slipping into his own.

"Come on, it's late," he said. "I'll drive you to Peeta's."

Peeta was asleep when the water droplets first touched his skin. They were warm and roused him gently.

He opened his eyes drowsily and thought he was daydreaming when he saw Katniss standing over him, a squirt bottle clutched in one hand, her fingers pumping the nozzle. But as consciousness came back to him, he realized that that was exactly what was before him.

"I love you, Peeta," she whispered as his eyes met her own.

He chuckled, "Is this your idea of an apology? Death by squirt-bottle?"

"Maybe…" She stopped spraying him and knelt by his side. "I'm sorry Peeta – I overreacted. After everything we've been through together, I can see why you'd be skeptical of my motives. I love you, and only you. I promise."

Peeta sat up and took her hands. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have pushed you to do something you weren't ready for. And I know you wouldn't cheat on me. You're better than that. I know you are."

She sighed. "So…we're ok?"

He smiled. "We're ok."

She leaned up and kissed him, and though he could still taste the alcohol on her tongue, he chose not to care and responded to the kiss with fervor to match her own.

Suddenly, Katniss pulled back. "I have something for you."

She reached behind her and grabbed her bag. It took a few moments of fumbling about inside it, but she soon retrieved a small plastic _Fast Pizza Co._ keychain. Dangling from the end was a key. She handed it to Peeta, who turned it over in his hand.

"What's this?"

Katniss smiled shyly. "I'm not ready to move in with you yet, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you around whenever possible. That's the spare key to my apartment. And now it's yours."

Peeta stared at the key for a few seconds, absorbing Katniss's words and the sentiment behind them. Finally he came to his senses, and Katniss found herself lifted off the floor and crushed in his embrace.

"I love you," he whispered over and over again, kissing every available surface of her face. When he finally reached her lips, she kissed him back whole-heartedly.

"I love you, too," she mumbled against his mouth.

He let her go and ran to his kitchen, returning a moment later with a key of his own, which he presented to Katniss.

She smiled as she took it from him and laced it onto her key ring. Peeta smiled.

"I like the way that looks there."


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry for the slow update, you guys! Things have been crazy here - I got a new computer! (guess who is no longer a PC girl) ((to any anti-Apple enthusiasts, please don't send me hate mail)) But I'm officially on summer break, so although I'll be working several jobs (alas, the life of a student), I should be able to update with more frequency. I just realized that this will be chapter 19 - thank you for sticking with me this far! You rock!

Warning: Not my best chapter.

It seemed to Katniss that the days had passed in a blur of euphoria. Every day was filled with the work she loved and every night was filled with quiet moments spent in Peeta's arms.

But always in the back of her mind was this nagging thought that Peeta would find out about her trying to kiss Gale. What would happen if he found out? Would he be mad? Maybe he would understand. After all, they were on a break...

She tried everything she could to convince herself that what she'd done was what any sane and reasonable person would have done, but to no avail. She knew that Peeta had every right to break up with her over this.

Which is why she was currently staring at her newest text from Gale.

Gale: You and Peeta free tonight?

It would be so easy to just say no, but she really did miss seeing Gale. In spite of everything, he was her best friend, and it had been nearly 3 weeks since they'd last hung out. But then again, what if Gale told Peeta? But he wouldn't do that, would he? No. He wouldn't.

Katniss: Yeah. What did you have in mind?

* * *

"So why do we have to meet up with Gale, again?"

Katniss turned to Peeta, who was tightening his tie.

She glared at him. "Gale's my friend, Peeta. I want you two to like each other."

"I don't think I'll ever be buddy-buddy with your ex-boyfriend."

"You're buddy-buddy with Finnick..."

"I was."

That made Katniss stop.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"We may have had a bit of an...argument."

Peeta backed up and sat down on the side of his bed. Katniss joined him.

"What about?"

"Well...you. He called yesterday to chat, and I told him about what happened between us, and he accused me of...of..."

"Of what!?" Patience was never Katniss's strong-suit.

Peeta got quiet and mumbled quickly, "Banging his sloppy seconds."

There was a moment of silence as Katniss processed what she'd just heard.

"Finn said that?" she couldn't believe it.

"Yeah. And then I told him not to call you that, and then he got mad at me and accused me of moving in on his 'territory' while you two were still together."

Katniss put her head in her hands. "You told him about that night on the highway didn't you?"

"Well, I couldn't lie to him!"

Suddenly, a thought struck Katniss. She shot up.

"Did you tell him about the auto-repair place did you? Tell me you didn't tell him about my straddling you!"

Peeta blushed and began inspecting the pattern of the wood on the floor. Katniss groaned.

"Peeta!"

He stood and placed his hands cautiously in front of him. "Look, before you get mad, hear me out. I told him you were just joking around with me! I mean, he should understand that - it actually sounds like something he would do. I doubt he blames you for that."

"We could've avoided this altogether if you'd just kept your mouth shut!

"He was my best friend once upon a time! I couldn't keep something from that from him. Kat, please try to understand..."

"Don't you 'Kat' me! Not when I'm mad!"

"Let's just talk about this, Katniss."

"No, we can't. Because now we're late to meet Gale."

"Oh right, Gale, your other ex-boyfriend."

"What is your problem with my ex's?"

"Nothing! I just don't understand why you need them to like you so much."

"I just do, ok. I don't want to lose them, ok! I've already lost my dad, and my mom as good as left me. Not to mention I hardly ever speak to my sister anymore, what with our schedules being so busy! You, Finnick, and Gale are all I have! I can't...I can't...I..."

Peeta wrapped her in his arms. "I know. Shhh. It's ok. I know. But you need to get something into that pretty little head of yours - I'm not going anywhere. And neither is anyone else, ok? So how about we call Gale and take a raincheck for another night, because after that conversation, I really just want - no, need - to be with you tonight."

"Be with me?"

A devilish smile stretched across Peeta's face. "I don't think you realize just how ravishing you look in this dress." He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her lower half closer to his. His lips traveled from her bare shoulder up her neck and found purchase on her earlobe, where his teeth tugged lightly.

Katniss breathed heavily. "R...r...ravishing?"

"Mhmm." Peeta reached behind her to grab his phone from the wall. "Now what did you say Gale's number was?"


End file.
